The Project Gutenberg EBook of Pieces of Eight, by Richard le Gallienne

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Title: Pieces of Eight

Author: Richard le Gallienne

Release Date: February 10, 2006 [EBook #17741]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration: Cover]

PIECES OF EIGHT

_Being the Authentic Narrative of a Treasure Discovered in the Bahama
Islands in the Year 1903--Now First Given to the Public_

BY RICHARD LE GALLIENNE

[Illustration]

_Frontispiece_

[Illustration: "'YOU YOUNG FOOL!' EXCLAIMED CHARLIE, 'THE WATER ROUND
HERE IS THICK WITH SHARKS!'"]

A.L. BURT COMPANY
Publishers New York

Published by arrangement with Doubleday, Page & Company

_Copyright, 1918, by_

DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY

_All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign
languages, including the Scandinavian_

COPYRIGHT, 1917, 1918, BY THE BUTTERICK PUBLISHING COMPANY

LIFE BEING OF THE NATURE BOTH OF A TREASURE-HUNT AND A PIRATICAL
EXPEDITION, I DEDICATE THIS NARRATIVE TO THE FOLLOWING SAILING
COMPANIONS OF MINE ON THIS ENTERTAINING OLD PIRATE CRAFT WE CALL THE
EARTH, IN THE HOPE THAT EACH MAY FIND HIS TREASURE, AND, AT LEAST,
ESCAPE HANGING AT THE END OF THE TRIP--TO WIT: HARRY DASH JOHNSON, SAM
NICHOLSON, BERT WILLSIE AND CHARLEY BETHEL, ALL ENGAGED IN ONE OR
ANOTHER OF THE PIRATICAL PROFESSIONS.

PROLOGUE

_(The following MS., the authorship of which I am not at liberty to
divulge, came to me in a curious way. Being recently present at a
performance of_ "Treasure Island" _at The Punch and Judy Theatre in New
York City, and, seated at the extreme right-hand end of the front row of
the stalls--so near to the ground-floor box that its occupants were
within but a yard or two of me, and, therefore, very clearly to be
seen--I, in common with my immediate neighbours, could not fail to
remark the very striking and beautiful woman who was the companion of a
distinguished military-looking man on the youthful side of middle age._